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In Taiwan, where the internet and smartphone usage is high, it is not surprising that social media usage is also high, with approximately 90% of the population actively using one or more platforms. According to a study by the GWI, the average Taiwanese person has accounts on approximately 6.5 different social media platforms, including popular ones such as Facebook and Instagram, as well as local brands like PTT and Dcard.
In recent years, there have been trends in social media usage in Taiwan that may alter its meaning and use for the average Taiwanese. At the government level, there have been efforts to increase regulation of content on social media platforms due to concerns about Chinese government influence. On a smaller scale, there has been a trend towards greater integration between real-life events and social media activity, particularly in the realm of commerce. This has led to an increase in sellers using social media platforms for business, as Taiwan has previously lagged behind other countries in this area.
An interesting observation of how social media is used in Taiwan is the way that the public sector is utilizing social channels to connect with citizens. For example, the Minister of Health and Welfare and the Minister of Economic Affairs have both used social media to communicate with the public, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic and when discussing policy decisions such as participation in the CPTPP and the lifting of import restrictions on controversial products.
Throughout 2022, on average there are about 21.5 million active social media users in Taiwan on a monthly basis with an annual growth rate of 8.4 % in 2021-22 . This represents about 89.4 % of the total population. These social media users on average spend about 2.07 hours on social media and each on average have accounts on 6.5 platforms.
Line has been the dominant social media platform in Taiwan since it overtook Facebook in 2018. While Facebook is still widely used by approximately 90% of Taiwanese people, younger users in Taiwan are increasingly gravitating towards trendsetting platforms such as TikTok, Xiaohongshu, and Dcard.
Although Line is a dominant social media platform in Taiwan, Instagram remains popular among millennials for posting and interacting with each other. Despite attempting to become a “superapp,” Line is mostly used as a chat app and its social features are not widely utilized.
It is uncertain which app will ultimately dominate the commerce aspect of social media in Taiwan. Meta-owned platforms with established commerce systems are attracting sellers, but traditional e-commerce platforms are still widely used in the country. Line has the potential to become a strong player in this area due to its large user base and the popularity of its payment service, Line Pay. The app has also integrated with many merchants, such as Starbucks and McDonald’s, which may give it an advantage over other platforms. However, it is still not an established social-commerce ecosystem that allows third-party sellers to easily join.
With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.05%, there is now around 21.51 million Facebook users in Taiwan . With male users account for around 47.32% and female users account for around 52.68%.
With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.16%, there is now around 10.87 million Instagram users in Taiwan . With male users account for around 44.96% and female users account for around 55.04%.
With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.65%, there is now around 5.2 million TikTok users in Taiwan . With male users account for around 0.488 and female users account for around 0.512.
With the latest data published in January 2023, we can see that at the growth rate of 1.06x, there is now around 2.93 million LinkedIn users in Taiwan.
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